By far, the greatest thing missing from most martial arts and safety programs focusing on self-defense is a structured and systemized outline that helps to keep the student on track with what he or she needs. Not to be confused with the step-by-step self-defense moves taught in the preset techniques or kata of different styles, … Read more
This is the first of a 5 part series of articles analyzing popular training paradigms which inhibit the ability to be creative via non-choreographed movements in high speed/high adrenaline fights. The five levels are, “The Set Up”, “Structuring the Fight”, “Wearing Protective Equipment”, “Disregarding Vital Targets” and “Providing Structure”. 99% of sport fighting, traditional martial … Read more
Did you know that one in six women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime? The statistic is one in 5 for women on college campuses. This is a shocking figure when most people consider college campuses safe due to the faculty and the students. It’s important that you face this reality and take steps … Read more
Women’s self defense is a serious endeavor. Some women think they can take care of themselves and some can. But if you are a man or a woman there are some situations that nobody can handle. You can take women’s self defense to learn skills that might save your life or you can polish the … Read more
Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it’s definitely worth owning. One such book is Michael D. Echanis’, “Knife Self-Defense for Combat.” This book is directly influenced by … Read more
Picture a martial arts fight in your mind; what you’re likely to “see” are plenty of kicks, punches and blocks, maybe locks and throws, too; but what you will probably miss are the underlying principles that make each of these techniques and moves practical and effective. One of the fundamental principles of Ninjutsu is simple … Read more
Often times unarmed security guards find themselves in potentially dangerous or violent situations with someone who is armed and/or dangerous. Because their resources are limited in terms of weaponry, they may have to resort to regular, unassuming items that are part of everyday life to help gain some leverage and protect themselves. Here are some … Read more
Training in martial arts, in this case karate, disciplines the body and mind to react differently than nature intended. During a self-defense encounter, the body’s natural tendency is the fight-or-flight syndrome. An adrenaline rush causes the body to increase breathing to supply the muscles with additional oxygen for flight. The upside of additional oxygen in … Read more
It is impossible today to turn on the TV and not hear about yet another personal attack. It doesn’t matter where you live, your local news channel, newspaper and radio has stories every day of some innocent community member being accosted in some way. As a result, alarms are being bought at an astounding rate. … Read more
While most fighters tend to think in only 2 dimensions within the realm of what I call the “fight-bubble,” those martial arts students trying to learn ninjutsu – the art of Japan’s ancient Ninja families – think in 10 dimensions. For the purpose of this article, I will focus on the 4 basic kamae, or … Read more